Simon Cowell doesn't want 'celebrity judge' on X Factor

Simon Cowell says he doesn't want to hire judges who are more interested in promoting their own music on 'The X Factor' than mentoring new talent

Simon Cowell wants an 'X Factor' judge who isn't out to promote their own record.

The music mogul will return to the judging panel alongside Cheryl Cole in this year's singing contest and although there is still a question of who will join them, Simon insists he wants someone who is focussed on finding new talent.

The 54-year-old star said: "It's so not decided yet. As always with us, everything is up in the air, but we have to find four people by the time we start filming. There is a tendency to hire what I call 'celebrity judges' and, actually, what I'm looking for is someone who can really do the job.

"If you're mentoring an artist for 10 or 11 weeks, you have to turn that person from a good artist to a great artist by the end of the year.

"There is something out of kilter at the moment - it's almost like all these judges are out promoting their own records and forgetting what they're there for, which is to discover more talent.

"So I've got to find people who actually want to do the job rather than 'I've got a record coming out'. "

He also wants to rediscover the spark 'The X Factor' had in 2010 and find the same kind of talent they had in the seventh series which starred winner Matt Cardle and boy band One Direction.

He explained to Britain's HELLO! magazine: "If we can go back to where we left the show in 2010, that was probably my favourite ever series of any show I've ever been on.

"It was just a brilliant year with Matt Cardle, Rebecca Ferguson, One Direction, Cher Lloyd. Great talent and they all went on to be successful."